Caribbean Trip

     For my trip to the Caribbean, I enjoyed a warm, relaxing, excursion to a couple tropical islands.  It was incredible!
     For my first stop, I went to the island of St. Lucia.  I visited many attractions, including the Pitons, Rodney Bay, Pigeon Island, and Sulfur Springs.  I started by venturing to Jalousie Bay, where the Pitons sat on both sides.  They are both large volcanic plugs, and are surrounded by many coral reefs.  In Rodney Bay, I explored the enormous marina, and took a day trip on a pirate ship named "Black
Magic" to Soufriere.  It was amazing!  On the way, we also stopped at two other locations; Sulphur Springs and the Diamond Falls Botanical Gardens.  Sulphur Springs otherwise known as "The World's Only Drive-In Volcano," is a hot springs with waters bubbling at about three hundred and forty degrees Fahrenheit, and even a few hundred yards downstream it is still about one hundred degrees.  These lower temperature spots were good for mud baths, as I soon learned!  As I took in all the animals, insects and plants around me in the garden, I saw the beautiful waterfall within the gardens.
     For my second site, I visited the Bahamas!  I began by going to the Atlantis Paradise Island, staying at the resort, visiting the water park, and even swimming with dolphins!  Later, I visited the Ardastra Gardens and Zoo.  I love reptiles, so I was amazed when a large boa constrictor crossed the path in front of me with a zoo attendant!  There was a vast array of animals, including an incredible
amount of flamingos, and the gardens were just as great.  I visited Nassau Island and toured the three forts of the island, including the largest, Fort Charlotte, as well as Fort Fincastle and Fort Montagu.  One of my favorite parts were the limestone stairs in Fort Fincastle, cut out of the queen's staircase at the time.  Later on the island, I walked through the Pirates of Nassau Museum, even getting to go on a replica ship, "Revenge."  I ended my trip at the National Art Gallery of the Bahamas, which expressed some of the biggest cultural changes throughout the last century in its artwork.  It was a wonderful trip!

Latin American Trip

     I have always enjoyed natural history and culture, so visiting the ancient city of Oaxaca was
incredible. The city is the capital of the state Oaxaca in Mexico, and the largest city in the state.  I visited the Catedral de Oaxaca, also known as the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption, which was actually the third to be built, after the first two were destroyed by earthquakes.  It was constructed out of a beautiful green stone called cantera.  In the Plaza de la Constitucion, I sat at the central kiosk and listened to La Marimba, after walking around the plaza and looking at the many portraits.  To end the day, I explored the Museo de las Culturas de Oaxaca, looking over
all the incredible colonial artifacts.

  The second place I visited in Latin America was the beautiful Incan citadel of Machu Picchu in Peru.  It is in the Cusco Region, Urubamba Province, MachuPicchu District.  I visited the three most prevalent structures, the Inti Watana Stone, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows.  The Inti Watana is one of many ritual stones that point directly at the sun during the Winter Solstice.  I wish I had been there on that day!  Still, it was an amazing thing to see, a vertical stone which acted as a astronomical clock in the ancient days.  The Temple of the Sun was an
incredible Temple with a stone altar inside, upon which sunlight is supposed to fall directly on during the summer solstice.  The Room of Three Windows was originally built with five windows, but only three remain.  They were made to show the exact location of the rising sun.  I spent the rest of my day exploring the city.  My trip to these two cities was wonderful!

North American Trip

     Recently, I took a trip to North America, and visited many different locations.  Some of my favorites included the city of Victoria, British Columbia, and Chicago, Illinois.

     Victoria is the capital city of British Columbia, and was full of things to do.  I visited the Butchart Gardens and experienced its beautiful rose gardens, a wonderful Saturday night fireworks show, and flowers as far as my eyes could see.  I went whale watching, viewing some of the local marine life.  The main species of whale in the area was orca, but I saw a large humpback whale swim up right
next to the boat!  Later, I enjoyed the tour of the Craigdarroch Castle, a wonderful castle styled with Victorian era architecture.  The beautiful stained glass windows and antiques made the tour even better!  To end the day, I ventured to the Victoria Bug Zoo, which was full of all sorts of insects!  I saw stick bugs, beetles, and even a praying mantis.  They showed me a millipede as long as my arm, allowing me to hold it even!  I had a great time!

     Chicago is one of my favorite cities in the country, with many interesting places to visit.  I started by visiting the Willis Tower, a 1,451 foot tall skyscraper.  After taking the tour through the building, I was taken to the top, and walked out into the glass viewing deck overlooking the city.  It really tested my fear of heights!  Afterwards, I headed to the Art Institute of Chicago, and saw some amazing pieces of artwork, including American Gothic, Napoleon, and A Sunday on La Grande Jatte.  After I left, I walked over to Centennial Park and saw the famous Cloud Gate, commonly referred to as the Chicago Bean.  To end my trip, I went to the Field Museum of Natural History, home of Sue the T-rex, the most complete tyrannosaurus skeleton ever found.  I loved the exhibits on cultural history and prehistoric evolution.  My North American trip was amazing!